Handpiece controls for dictating machines



June 11, 1968 R. K. WALKER HANDPIECE CONTROLS FOR DICTATING MACHINES 3Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 3, 1966 FIG.

INVENTOR I mam/20 K. WALKER y AGENT June 11, 1968 R. K. WALKER HANDPIECECONTROLS FOR DICTATING MACHINES 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 3-, 1966INVENTOR RICHARD K. WALKER AGENT June 11, 1968 R. K. WALKER HANDPIECECONTROLS FOR DICTATING MACHINES 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed March 3, 1966 MYmm 6 I M. m, 42 a v i a IIIUI. VIII/III!!! rlllllllllllllllllllzlll. VI

R E m T \w M .#m n wk 0 w u R C B m 9 MM 9 6% w 7 P 7 c H 7 6 L e 6 n ag e 5 Q l .8 ug.

United States Patent 3,387,848 HANDPIECE CGNTROLS FUR DICTATKNG MACHINESRichard K. Walker, (Ionvcnt, Ni, assignor to McGraw- Edison Company,Elgin, 111., a corporation of Delaware Filed Mar. 3, 1966, Ser. No.531,419 7 Claims. (Cl. 274-1) This invention relates to a dictatingmachine which can be selectively operated to record dictation, to listenback to any desired portion of ones previously recorded dictation and tothen resume recordation, or to edit during a listening back operation byre-recording any portion of the previously recorded dictation. Moreparticulaly, the invention relates to a novel handpiece having thereonall of the manual controls for performing selectively the aboveoperations of the dictating machine.

An object of the invention is to provide a handpiece having thereon aset of manual controls conveniently arranged to enable the machine to becontrolled easily and with the least conscious effort by the thumb ofthe hand holding the handpiece.

Another object is to provide a control system for a dictating machineincluding a handpiece having thereon two manual controls selectivelyoperable to record dictation, to backscan and start playback at anydesired point, to stop and restart the machine in playback at will, toforward scan from a backspaced position and return to record conditionat the prior position of farthest advance, or to edit any last portionof ones previously recorded dictation.

Another object is to provide such improved hand control device for adictating machine having thereon one rocker control operable in onedirection to record and in the other direction to backscan and startplayback, and having thereon a second rocker control operable in onedirection to stop the machine in playback and in the other direction toshift the machine into record condition while in a backspaced position.

Another object is to bias the second rocker control in a center runposition but to detent the second rocker control when moved to stopposition.

Another object is to release the aforesaid detent on the second rockercontrol so that the rocker control will return automatically to runposition when the first rocker control is moved in either direction.

Other objects and features of the invention will be apparent from thefollowing description and the appended claims.

In the description of the invention, reference is had to theaccompanying drawings, of which:

FIGURE 1 is a fractional top plan view of a preferred form of dictatingmachine embodying the invention;

FIGURE 2 is a fractional sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of FIGURE1;

FIGURE 3 is a schematic circuit diagram of the present dictatingmachine;

FIGURE 4 is a plan view, with parts broken away, of the handpiecemechanism, showing this mechanism with the housing cover removed;

FIGURE 5 is a side elevation from the line 55 of FIGURE 4 but showingthe handpiece housing broken away;

FIGURE 6 is a section on the line 66 of FIGURE 4',

FIGURE 7 is a section on the line 77 of FIGURE 4; and

FIGURE 8 is a fractional view from the line 8--8 of FIGURE 4, showingparts broken away.

The drive system includes an A.C. drive motor 10 coupled through ashiftable drive transmission 11 to a shaft 12 connected through auniversal joint 13 to a "ice drive roller 15 for a magnetic belt record16. The shiftable drive transmission may be of the type described in thepending Walker application Ser. No. 489,603, filed Sept. 23, 1965, forDictating Machine and to which reference may be had for mechanicaldetails. Suifice to say for the present application that the drivetransmission 11 is controlled by three clutch solenoids 17, 18 and 19 ina manner such that the shaft 14 is driven at normal forward speed whenthe solenoid 17 is de-energized, the solenoid 18 is de-energized and thesolenoid 19 is energized; in a fast forward direction when the solenoid17 is de-energized, the solenoid 18 is energized and the solenoid 19 istie-energized; and in a fast reverse direction when the solenoid 17 isenergized, the solenoid 18 is energized and the solenoid 19 isde-energized.

The shaft 12 is coupled through a gear train 20, differential geartransmission 21, shaft 22 and universal joint 23 to a feed screw 24. Thebelt record 16 is trained around the drive roller 15 and a take-uproller 25 journaled in spaced parallel relation thereto. In the spacebetween the two rollers there is a head carriage 26 for arecordreproduce magnetic head 27. This head carriage is slidably mountedon a cross rod 28 and is driven by the feed screw 24.

Journaled on the shaft 22 at the outer end of the differential gearmechanism 21 is a sleeve 29. When the sleeve is held stationary, drivepower is transmitted from the motor 10 to the feed screw 24 to move thehead carriage with a forward or reverse traveling movement in fixedrelation to the forward or reverse drive of the belt record 16. However,when the drive motor 10 is at standstill the head carriage 26 can bemoved in forward and reverse directions at a fast speed-herein referredto as a scan movement-by a reversible scan motor 30 coupled to thesleeve 29 through a gear train 31. Movements of the head carriage by thescan motor 31) are cross-track because of the belt record being then atstandstill. By means of a single-tooth latch 31b on the gear 31a of thegear train 31, described in detail in the aforesaid Walker application,the pulley is stopped always in the same posi tion when power to thescan motor is cut off. Each revolution of the gear 31:: produces asinge-track pitch distance on the belt record with the result that thehead carriage is stopped always in an in-track position at the end ofeach scan operation.

In the normal forward drive of the machine the belt record is revolvedat a normal speed in a forward direction and the head carriage isadvanced at a proportionate speed by the feed screw 24 to cause themagnetic head to define a helical track on the belt record. Thisoperation is called a normal forward in-track drive. If the drive systemis merely reversed both as to the belt record and the head carriage themagnetic head traverses the track in a reverse direction by what iscalled a backspace movement. If the speed of each of these in-trackdrive movements is increased there is produced fast forward in-trackdrive and fast backspace respectively.

When a dictator listens back to a selected portion of his previouslyrecorded dictation and then returns the magnetic head to its priorposition of farthest advance to resume the recording operation, each ofthe different types of drive movements abovementioned are employedexcept backspace. As is later described, a backspace operation isperformed by a secretary when dictation is transcribed. As a means ofrestoring the machine automatically to record condition at the end of alisteningback operation, there is employed an advance marker mechanism32 preferably of the type described in the Walker Patent No. 3,222,074,dated Dec. 7, 1965. Suffice to say for the purposes of the presentinvention that the advance marker mechanism 32 includes a stationaryshaft 33 mounted as on a U-bracket 34 and provided with a threadedportion 33a at its far end. A pulley 35 journaled on the inner end ofthe shaft 33 is driven by a belt 36 from the shaft 22. The pulley 35 ismounted on a sleeve 37 which extends along the shaft into a cylindricalshell 38. This shell has an internal web 38a by which it isindependently rotatably mounted on the shaft 33. Between the sleeve 37and the cylinder 33 there is a one-way clutch MC. This clutch isnormally engaged but can be disengaged by the action of cam elements 39between the clutch and a trip collar 40 when the collar is movedinwardly along the sleeve by an edit solenoid 41 coupled to the collarthrough an arm 42. Extending from the shell along the threaded shaftportion 33a is a finger 43 which passes slidably through a slottedradial measuring member 44. When the edit solenoid 41 is activated todisengage the clutch MC 21 clock spring 45 between the shell 38 andshaft 33 propels the shell counterclockwise as it would appear from theleft end of the shaft 33 to hold the measuring member in a homeposition. In this home position a side finger 44a of the measuringmember bears against an arm 46 of an advance clutch switch 47 to holdthe clutch switch in operated position. This advance clutch switch has afirst set of contacts 47a (FIG- URE 2) which is held normally closed anda second set of contacts 47b which is held normally open by the clockspring 45. When the feed screw 24 is driven in a reverse direction tobackspace the head carriage from a position of farthest advance themeasuring member 44 is turned clockwise to open immediately the contacts47a. When the head carriage has been moved through the distance of onetrack pitch on the belt record the second set of contacts 47!; isclosed. In the continuing backspace movement of the head carriage themeasuring member is turned on the threaded shaft 33a with the sidefinger 44a clearing the switch arm 46 in the first revolution ofmovement thereof. When the head carriage is returned to within one trackpitch distance of its position of farthest advance the switch 47b isopened and when it reaches its prior position of farthest advance theswitch 47a is closed. Alternatively, if the edit solenoid 41 isactivated while the head carriage is in a backspaced position, theadvance clutch MC is disengaged to enable the clock spring 45 to returnthe measuring member quickly to home posi tion causing the switch 47b tobe opened and the switch 470 to be closed in the sequence named.

A dietators handpiece H has a head portion provided with a transducer MSusable as a microphone for recording dictation and as a speaker duringreproducing. A handle extending from the head portion is provided withthe dictators controls comprising a centrally located rocker button Bdepressiblc at one end to record and at the other end to listen back, arocker knob K shiftable lengthwise of the handle in one direction from acentral run position to a stop position for stopping the machine when itis in reproducing condition and in the other direction from run positionto an edit position to return the machine to recording condition whilethe head carriage is in a backspaced position, and a second rocker knobLC for making length and correction marks. The handpiece is connected bya cord C to a switch box S which in turn is connected to an amplifier Aand to the record-reproduce head 27.. Switch box S is adapted to connectthe transducer MS operating as a microphone to the input of theamplifier A and the output of the amplifier to the head 27 operating asa recorder to condition the machine for recording, and is adapted toconnect the head 27 operating as a reproducer to the input of theamplifier and the output of the amplifier to the transducer operating asa speaker to condition the machine for reproducing.

The machine is connected to a 115 volt, 60 cycle, power source throughan on-off switch 49 to the drive motor 10. The coils of the motor areutilized as a power transformer through which connection is made to arectifier 50 and thence through a regulator 51 to a pair of plus andminus terminals 52. When the machine is to be used for recordingdictation, a dictate-transcribe switch DT is placed in dictate positionwherein its two pole members 1 and 2 are in their upper positions asshown. This completes a power circuit from the minus terminal 52 throughthe run switch 53, playback end switch PE, pole 2 and upper contact of ascan relay 54, pole 1 and upper contact of the dictate-transcribe switchDT, advance clutch switch 47a, and coil of an RR relay 55 back to theplus terminal 52. The RR relay 55 is thus held operated causing its polemembers 1 and 2 to be retained in their downmost positions. To start themachine in recording the operator presses the rocker button B at itsrecord end allowing a record switch 57 to close with its upper contact aresponsive to its own biasing. This establishes a circuit from the minusterminal 52 through the record end switch RE, pole 1 and upper contactof the scan relay 54, pole 2 and lower contact of the RR relay 55,switch of the intrack solenoid 18, slow forward solenoid 19 and back toplus terminal 52. The resultant energization of the slow forwardsolenoid 19 starts the machine running in the forward direction atnormal speed. The dietator can now speak into the microphone MS torecord on the record 16 in the normal way.

#If the dictator wants to listen back to some prior portion of hisrecorded dictation and then to resume his further recording of dictationhe presses the start button B at its back end to close the switch 57with its lower contact [1. A circuit is then completed from the minusterminal 52 through the back scan switch 5712, backscan limit switch BS,diode D2, and coil of scan relay 54 to plus terminal 52. Also, a circuitis completed from the minus terminal 52 through the backscan switch5711, the backscan limit switch BS, diode D3, and reverse relay 58 toplus terminal 52. This completes a connection from the minus terminal 52through the run switch 53, playback end switch PE, pole 2 lower contactof scan relay '54, and pole 1 lower contact of reverse relay 58 tobottom terminal of the scan motor. Since the reverse relay 53 is nowoperated the upper terminal of the scan motor SM is conected throughpole 2 lower contact of the relay 58 to the plus terminals 52. The scanmotor is therefore driven in a reverse direction to move the headcarriage rearwardly in a cross-track relationship to the stationaryrecord 16. In the initial backScan movement the advance clutch switch47a is opened and upon a rearward movement of the head carriage througha one track pitch interval onthe record the early advance clutch switch47b is closed. The opening of the switch 47a drops the RR solenoid 55 toreturn the machine to playback condition. The closing of the earlyadvance clutch switch 471) has no immediate effect.

Upon release of the backscan switch 57b the scan relay 54 is dropped toreturn the drive system to normal forward drive and the advance clutchswitch 47a remains open leaving the machine still in playback conditionto play back the recorded dictation. The circuit for the drive systemnow runs from the minus terminal 52 through the run switch 53, playbackend switch PE, pole 2 upper contact of scan relay 54, pole .1 uppercontact of RR relay '55, diode D5, switch 18a of the in-track solenoid18, coil of slow forward solenoid 19 and back to plus terminal 52. Themachine will thus continue in normal playback of the recorded dictationeither until the dictator presses the start button to close the switch57a and place the machine into a forward scan conditionor until theprior position of farthest advance is reached. However, the dictator canstop and restart the machine during playback at will as is herein nextdescribed.

To stop the machine in playback the dictator presses a rocker knob Kforwardly from run to stop position. The rocker knob extends from a hub60 journaled at 6011. Pivotally connected to the hub at 60b is a link 61having a depending cam ridge 62 thereon. As the rocker knob K is movedforwardly to stop position the link 61 is shifted rearwardly causing thecam ridge 62 to move against a stationary lug 63a whereby to shift thelink 61 upwardly to open the run switch 53. As is later described, therocker knob K becomes detented in its stop position but can be shiftedback to run position at will. The resultant opening of the run switch 53drops the slow forward solenoid 19 to stop the forward drive. When therocker knob K is returned from stop to run position the run switch 53 isreclosed to activate again the slow forward solenoid 191 and start thenormal forward operation of the drive system.

If the dictator presses the start button B at the record end while thehead carriage is in a backspaced position to place the machine into aforward scan condition a circuit is completed from the minus terminal 52through the start switch 57a, record end switch RE, early advance clutch47b, and scan relay 54 to plus terminal 52. As a result of operating thescan relay 54, a circuit is completed from the minus terminal 52 throughthe run switch 53, playback end switch PE, pole 2 lower contact of thescan relay 54, and pole 2 upper contact of the reverse relay 58 to theupper terminal of the scan motor SM. At the same time the lower terminalof the scan motor is connected through pole 1 upper contact of thereverse relay 58 to the plus terminal 52. The scan motor therefore runsin its normal forward direction. During this time the record 16 is atstandstill and the machine remains in playback condition because theadvance clutch switch 47a is still open.

When the carriage is returned from a backspaced position to within onetrack pitch distance from its prior position of farthest advance theearly advance clutch switch 47b is opened. This drops the scan relay 54and returns the machine -to fast forward in-track drive by the circuitrunning from minus terminal 52 through the start switch 57a, record endswitch RE, pole 1 upper contact of scan relay 54, pole 2 upper contactof RR relay 55, and in-track solenoid .18 to plus terminal 52. Theenergization of the in-track solenoid 18 opens the switch 18a. toprevent slow forward relay 19 from being operated and conditions thedrive transmission 11 for fast forward in-track operation.

When the head carriage reaches its prior position of farthest advancethe advance clutch switch 47a is closed. This completes a circuit fromthe minus terminal 52 through the run switch 53, playback end switch PE,pole 2 upper contact of scan relay 5'4, pole 1 upper contact ofdictate-transcribe switch DT, advance clutch switch 47a, RI relay 55 andback to plus terminal 52. This operates the RR relay to put the machineback into record condition. The operation of the RR relay opens thecircuit to the in-track solenoid 18 at its pole 2 upper contact to stopthe fast forward drive and activates the slow forward solenoid .19 atits pole 2 lower contact to put the drive back into normal forwardoperation. The machine is now ready to resume recording whenever thestart button B is pressed at its record end.

If after the head carriage has been backspaced from a position offarthest advance the dictator should want to re-record all or a portionof the recorded dictation in advance of the head carriage he will pressthe rocker knob K rearwardly to edit position and will .then press thestart button B at its record end to continue his dictation. Uponpressing the rocker knob K rearwardly the link 61 is shifted forwardlyand tilted upwardly by the action of the cam bridge 62 against astationary lug 63b to open the run switch 53. At the same time an editswitch 65 is closed by a finger 64 on the hub 60. The effect of closingthe edit switch 65 is to activate an edit solenoid 66 from plus terminal52 via the edit switch 65 and minus terminal of rectifier 5G. Theoperation of the edit solenoid disengages the advance clutch MC to causethe measuring member 44 to be returned to home position responsive tothe clock spring 4 5. The resultant closing of the advance clutch switch47a activates the RR relay 55 to record position and prepares thecircuit through the start switch 57a to activate .the slow forwardsolenoid 19 via pole 1 upper contact of RR relay 55 and switch 18a sothat the machine will operate in normal record condition when the startswitch 57a is next closed.

If the machine is to be used by a secretary for transcribing dictationthe dictate-transcribe switch DT is thrown to its lower transcribeposition to drop the RR relay 55 into play-back position. When themachine is then started by closing the start switch 57a it will runforward at normal speed as above-described to operate only as areproducer.

If the transcriber should want to backspace iii-track at any time toreplay any portion of the recorded dictation she will press thebackspace switch 58 into closed. position. This completes a circuit fromthe minus terminal 52 through the switch 58 and the backspace solenoid17 to plus terminal 52. Also, another circuit is completed from theminus terminal 52 through the backspace switch 53, diode D, andiii-track solenoid 18 to plus terminal 52. Operation of the iii-tracksolenoid 18 opens the switch 18a to disable the slow forward solenoid19. This energization of backspace solenoid 17 and of in-track solenoid18 together with the concurrent de-energization of the slow forwardsolenoid 19 places the drive in a fast reverse in-track operation.During such backspace operation the pole 2 of the dictate-transcribeswitch DT is closed with its lower contact to short cut the earlyadvance clutch switch 47b. Upon releasing the backspace switch 58 thefast reverse drive is stopped and the switch 18awhich was opened by thebackspace solenoid 18is again closed to restart the drive mechanism innormal forward operation to play back the recorded dictation.

As heretofore mentioned, all of those controls which are utilized forrecording dictation are placed on the handpiece H together with thecombination microphonespeaker MS. The backspace switch 58, being acontrol element to be used only by a transcriber, is connected searately to the machine and operated as by a foot-operable control or bya hand-operable control mounted on or adjacent to the secretarystypewriter. The remaining controls utilized by the dictator are locatedon the handle of the dictators handpiece H in a facile arrangement topermit the dictator to start-stop the machine in recording, listen backto selected portions of the recorded dictation, and either return to theprior position of farthest advance to resume his recording of dictationwhere he last left off or instead edit portions of the recordeddictation by rerecording thereover all in a very simple manner requiringonly natural manipulations of the thumb and fingers of the hand holdingthe handpiece.

As shown by the detailed drawings of the handpiece mechanism in FIGURES4 to 8, the handpiece housing H comprises front and back trough-likesections HF and HB which are joined at an intermediate plane P. Thebottom wall of the front section HP has suitable openings through whichproject the control knobs K and LC and the rocker button E. The rockerbutton B is pivoted at 67 between a pair of apertured lugs 68 turned upfrom a slide plate 69. The slide plate is mounted through three pin-slotconnections 70 (FIGURES 4 and 6) onto a frame plate 71 which faces theback housing section HB and which is mounted on two posts '72 and 73extending from the bottom wall of the front housing section HP. Theslide plate has an L-shaped tail piece 74 to which a thin plate 75 issecured by a screw 76. The plate 75 is apertured to clear the rockerbutton B and is secured to a bracket 77 at its forward end. On the frontend of the slide plate there is a similar confronting bracket 78 in aspaced relationship to the bracket 77. These two brackets are joined bya central pin 79. Secured by screws 80 to the bottom side of the rockerbutton B (FIGURE 8) is a leaf spring 81 having a bifurcated end portionwhich is anchored between the spaced brackets 77 and 78. This springholds the rocker button yieldably in a centered off position.

When the button B is pressed at its forward (record) end a finger 82 atthe back. end thereof is withdrawn from the pole member of switch 57allowing the switch to close with its a contact. Reversely, when thebutton is pressed at its rearward (backscan) end the finger 82 depressesthe pole member of switch 57 closing it with its 12 contact. The leafmembers of switch 57 are clamped in an insulating stack. secured byscrews 33 to the inner side of a lug 84 turned up from the frame plate71.

When the button B is depressed at its record end it can at the same timebe pushed rearwardly towards the end of the handle by movement of theslide 69 on the frame 71 to cause a lug 85 on the under side of thebutton to become engaged with a catch 86 on the frame 71 (FIG- URE 8)whereby to latch the button in record position. To unlatch the buttonthe same is pushed forwardly to move the slide until the lug isdisengaged from the catch.

Each of the rocker knobs K and LC are provided with inverted V-shapedcam surfaces 87 shown in FIGURE 6. Below these rocker knobs is a crosspin 88 guided in slotted side arms of a U-bracket 89 secured to theframe plate 71. A tension spring 90 between the central portion of thecross pin and the shaft 60a for the rockers (FIG- URE 8) draws the crosspin upwardly against the cam surfaces 87 to detent both rockers K and LCin their centered positions. The center position of the rocker K is itsrun position and that of the rocker LC is its neutral position.

As the rocker knob K is pushed forwardly to stop position it is detentedtherein against the centering action of the camming pin 88 by engagementof an end portion of the pivot pin 60b (FIGURES 4, 6 and 7) with a pawl91. This pawl extends rearwardly past the rocker button B at the underside thereof and is pivoted at 92 to a lug 93 turned up from the frameplate 71. The pawl is biased upwardly into an effective detentingposition by a cantilever spring 94 secured to the slide 69 (FIGURE 6).If the rocker button B is depressed at its record end when the knob K isdetented in stop position the button is moved against a pin 95 on thepawl 91 (FIGURE 6) to release the knob K so that it will return to runposition by the cam action of the pin 88 against the cam surfaces 87.Alternatively, if the button B is depressed at its backscan end when theknob K is detented in stop position a depending pin 96 (FIGURE 6) on thebutton is moved down against the pawl 91 again to release the knob toreturn it to run position.

When the knob K is moved rearwardly to edit position the finger 64(FIGURE 6) is moved against the pole member of switch 65 to close thesame as before described. The switch 65 is mounted on an arm 97 turnedup from the frame plate 71. Upon release of the knob K when it is inedit position the knob is returned to run position by the cam action ofthe pin 88 against the cam surface 87.

The knob LC is coupled through a lever 98 to the singlepole double-throwswitch 99 to perform a control operation to make a length mark when theknob is pushed forwardly and to make a correction mark when the knob ispushed rearwardly, the mechanism for performing these operations beingnot herein necessary to describe. The switch 99 is mounted on a lug 100turned up from the plate 71.

The embodiment of my invention herein particularly shown and describedis intended to be illustrative and not necessarily limitative of myinvention since the same is subject to changes and modifications withoutdeparture from the scope of my invention, which I endeavor to expressaccording to the following claims.

I claim:

1. In a dictating machine: the combination of a dictators handpiecehaving an elongate housing including a head portion with an extendinghandle, said head portion being adapted to receive a transducer usableas a microphone during recording and as a speaker during reproducing, arocker button on the front side of the handpiece along a central portionof said handle, said rocker button being pivotally mounted at amid-point thereof to enable it to be depressed at either end, meansresponsive to pressing said rocker button at one end for starting thedictating machine running in record condition and for stopping themachine when the button is released, means responsive to depressing saidbutton at the other end for back-scanning the dictating machine and uponrelease for starting the dictating machine running in reproducecondition, a projecting control knob at the upper end of said handlepivoted for movement lengthwise of the handle from a run position to aforward stop position, and means responsive to pressing said controlknob to stop position when said machine is running in reproducecondition for stopping the machine.

2. The dictating machine set forth in claim 1 including means fordetentin-g said control knob in stop position, and spring means forreturning said control knob to run position when said detenting means isreleased.

3. The dictating machine set forth in claim 2 including means responsiveto pressing said control button at either end while said control knob isdetented in stop position for releasing said 'detenting means.

4. The dictating machine set forth in claim 2 wherein said control knobis shifta-ble rearwardly from run position to an edit position,including means responsive to moving said control knob to edit" positionwhile said machine is in a backspaced reproduce condition for shiftingsaid machine to record condition.

5. The dictating machine set forth in claim 4 wherein said spring meansis operative also to bias said control knob from edit to run position.

6. In a dictating machine: the combination of a dictators handpiecehaving thereon a rocker button on the front side of the handpiece alongthe central portion of said handle, sa-id rocker button being pivotallymounted at a midpoint thereof to enable it to be depressed at eitherend, means responsive to pressing said rocker but-ton at one end forstarting the dictating machine running in record condition and forstopping the machine when the rocker button is released, meansresponsive to depressing said rocker button at the other end forbackspacing the dictating machine and upon release thereof for startingthe dictating machine running in reproduce condition, a projectingcontrol knob at the upper end of said handle pivoted for movementlengthwise of the handle from a run position to a forward stop positionand from said run position to an edit position, means responsive topressing said control knob to stop position when said machine is runningin reproduce condition for stopping the machine, means for detentingsaid control knob in stop position, and means responsive to pressingsaid control button at either end While said control knob is detented instop position for releasing said detenting means.

7. The dictating machine set forth in claim 6, including meansresponsive to moving said control knob to edit position while saidmachine is in a backspaced reproduce condition for shifting said machineinto record condition, and a common spring means operative to returnsaid control knob to run position when it is released from either stopor edit positions.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,203,000 8/1965 Dollenmayer346-5O 3,056,606 10/1962 Schueler et al 274l7 2,951,127 8/1960 Piersonet al. 179-1002 LEONARD FORMAN, Primary Examiner.

F. I. DAMBROSIO, Assistant Examiner.

1. IN A DICTATING MACHINE: THE COMBINATION OF A DICTATOR''S HANDPIECEHAVING AN ELONGATE HOUSING INCLUDING A HEAD PORTION WITH AN EXTENDINGHANDLE, SAID HEAD PORTION BEING ADAPTED TO RECEIVE A TRANSDUCER USABLEAS A MICROPHONE DURING RECORDING AND AS A SPEAKER DURING REPRODUCING, AROCKER BUTTON ON THE FRONT SIDE OF THE HANDPIECE ALONG A CENTRAL PORTIONOF SAID HANDLE, SAID ROCKER BUTTON BEING PIVOTALLY MOUNTED AT AMID-POINT THEREOF TO ENABLE IT TO BE DEPRESSED AT EITHER END, MEANSRESPONSIVE TO PRESSING SAID ROCKER BUTTON AT ONE END FOR STARTING THEDICTATING MACHINE RUNNING IN RECORD CONDITION AND FOR STOPPING THEMACHINE WHEN THE BUTTON IS RELEASED, MEANS RESPONSIVE